Moving Into 2026: How Play, Failure, and Curiosity Accelerate Growth

Moving Into 2026: How Play, Failure, and Curiosity Accelerate Growth

Author: Armando Dominguez PhD Health Psychology, Educator, Martial Artist, Researcher December 30, 2025 Duration: 30:54
Ep 132. Play is not the opposite of discipline — it is the fastest path to mastery. From early childhood to elite performance, play is one of the most powerful learning mechanisms available to the human nervous system. When we play, explore, and experiment, we engage curiosity, creativity, and our brain’s natural learning architecture. Failure, in this context, is not a verdict on identity — it is data. It provides feedback, information, and direction, showing us what doesn’t work so we ...

Ever feel like your brain's ancient wiring is at odds with the demands of modern life? That's the core territory explored in Running Man Self Regulation Skills Project. Hosted by Armando Dominguez, who brings a unique perspective as a PhD in Health Psychology, an educator, a martial artist, and a researcher, this podcast digs into the primal roots of our reactions. It’s about understanding how stress, anxiety, and even physical pain directly hijack our capacity to think clearly and make good decisions, often leading to behavior we might later regret. Each episode unpacks the survival programming we all carry-our inner paleo-caveperson-and how it manifests in today's world. You’ll hear practical discussions that bridge science and daily experience, focusing on why we freeze, lash out, or struggle to choose wisely under pressure. This isn't just theory; it's about gaining tangible insights for recognizing these patterns and developing stronger self-regulation skills. For anyone interested in the intersection of mental resilience, physical fitness, and social behavior, this podcast offers a thoughtful, grounded conversation. Tune in to reframe your understanding of your own instincts and learn to navigate tension with more awareness and control.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Running Man Self Regulation Skills Project
Podcast Episodes
Language and Communication. Unlocking the Power of Metaphor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
Ep 73. Communication takes various forms to transmit information, but often our interpretations can be inaccurate. Language serves as an imperfect medium to convey the messages and thoughts of our minds to others. Aristo…
We Tend to Follow our own Placebos. Navigating Life's Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:14
Ep 72. Placebos are known for their powerful effects in pharmaceutical experiments. In our daily lives, we rely on beliefs, expectations, and predictions to guide our ethical decisions, adhere to guidelines, and shape ou…
Time Perception in Stress and Flow States: When One Second is Forever [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:16
Ep 69. Explore how stress and anxiety affect our perception of time. Learn about time dilation in relation to familiar skills and the flow state, and discover how self-regulation skills can influence these experiences po…